Non-Statutory Guidance

Section 4 – Subject Leader Guidance

Non- Statutory Guidance

Section 4

Subject Leader Guidance

The Role of the Religious Education Teacher

Most teachers are concerned about all aspects education of the personal development of the pupils in their care. This includes their spiritual and moral development, which is at the heart of good Religious Education. Religious Education is not concerned with the nurture of a particular faith or acceptance of a religious way of life. Nurture in faith is the responsibility of the home and faith community. However, Religious Education is about enabling pupils to explore the meaning of life, the nature of faith and what it means to live life as a believer.

Teaching Religious Education therefore does not require the teacher to have a personal faith or commitment to a religious perspective on and understanding of life. It does, however, require the acceptance that such a view is an entirely valid one, that religion is of considerable importance to the vast majority of people in our world and that its study is, therefore, an important part of the curriculum.

The Kent Agreed Syllabus is designed to support the specialist and non-specialist, the committed and uncommitted through the provision of a coherent framework of appropriate content and pedagogy. If the aim of achieving high standards of teaching and learning in RE are to be achieved, then it is of course to teachers that the task of translating the Programmes of Study into classroom reality ultimately falls.

It is the responsibility of each teacher involved in the subject to ensure that :

  • the Religious Education provided is planned and matched to pupils’ abilities so that an understanding of what it means to be ‘religious’ and how people of faith express their experience through their religion can be meaningfully explored
  • pupils are encouraged to think about religion and faith, explore the nature of belief and its impact on the morals, attitudes, values and behaviour of believers
  • pupils explore the affective / spiritual dimension of Religious Education (AT2) and relate understandings gained to their own life experiences

The nature of RE, particularly the second aim of this syllabus which is concerned with ‘learning from’ religion and relating it to human and personal life experience may lead to pupils asking difficult questions or making personal disclosures. Such situations can be difficult to manage but should not be avoided, for they are at the heart of good and effective RE. The following guidance is offered with a view to helping and supporting teachers in dealing with potentially difficult situations positively and with a view to contributing to the personal and spiritual development of pupils effectively

Examples of difficult situations might include pupils:

  • asking questions to which the religions have no agreed answer eg. ‘Is Jesus the Son of God?’
  • asking questions which raise theological and philosophical issues eg. ‘If God is a good God why does he / she allow evil and suffering?’ or more personal versions of this question eg. ‘Why did God let this happen to me / my relative / friend?’ etc
  • asking about the teacher’s beliefs eg. ‘Do you believe in God?’
  • making comments or asking questions that suggest a hostile, negative or unreflective approach to religion eg. ‘Why are you peddling this God stuff?’; ‘Are you one of the God squad?’
  • making disclosures that reveal personal faith commitment eg. ‘I believe that the Qur’an is the absolute word of Allah’
  • making personal disclosures eg. ‘My mum/dad left us last week’; ‘My granddad died yesterday’
  • making inappropriate comments on the faith of other people, eg. ‘The Bible is a load of rubbish’; ‘People who believe in God are stupid’

Such situations may be difficult for one or more reasons:

  • they may cause upset or offence to other pupils
  • they may expose the pupil to upsetting comments
  • they may reveal misunderstandings that seem in need of correction
  • there may be no straightforward answer to the question
  • they may reveal an inability to cope with differences of opinion
  • they may be embarrassing
  • there may not be time to deal with them
  • the teacher may not have the training or knowledge needed to deal with them

There are no meaningful ‘stock answer’ responses nor ‘off the shelf’ ways of dealing with such classroom incidents. Teachers will need to use their professional judgement and sensitivity and work within the good relationships they have built with pupils.

The ethos of the school and RE’s contribution to it are important in establishing the right climate for dealing with such questions and incidents. The following practical guidance may be helpful.

Practical Guidelines
  • establish clear ground rules with the class for discussing controversial issues
  • encourage the use of ‘owning and grounding’ language such as ‘in my opinion’ or ‘some Hindus would say’
  • treat a question or incident as a positive rather than negative event wherever possible but if a difficult issue which is impossible to handle properly at the time arises, arrange to return to it later when it can be dealt with in a more considered way
  • affirm the importance of the pupils’ contributions, even if you do not agree with them
  • help pupils to understand that diversity of opinion and the existence of unanswerable questions are fundamental to human existence and experience and are aspects of life that we all have to learn to live with
  • allow for the possibility of a range of answers or opinions and encourage an awareness of diversity without undermining pupils' own beliefs
  • use the situation to open up rather than close down conversation or thinking. Encourage a ‘let’s explore this together’ approach
  • encourage further exploration by suggesting other people that pupils could ask and places they might look for more information. Affirm the importance of people close to the pupil, such as their family, their faith community, their friends
  • correct factual misinformation, wherever possible, without confrontation whilst always respecting the right of the pupils, their families and the members of the communities to which they belong to hold their own beliefs
  • in the case of personal disclosure, the prime need may be for comfort, affirmation or support rather than abstract discussion. It may be possible to suggest a follow-up to the pupil’s disclosure eg. with a personal tutor but if this is inappropriate or not possible then set the class an activity that provides time to attend to the pupil or allows some personal space
  • throw questions back for further clarification with the aim of keeping the pupil pondering, rather than giving closed answers when there is clearly no one answer
  • be as honest as possible without being ruthless eg. re what may have happened to a dead relative. In these circumstances a teacher should not normally challenge a pupil’s belief
  • let a discussion develop if it is being considered seriously by the class and try to end with a period of reflection to provide a suitable close to the discussion and lesson
  • never intrude into a pupil’s personal life and ensure that pupils know they always have the freedom to remain silent should they so wish

Leadership and Management of Religious Education:

The Role of the Subject Leader

The quality of subject leadership is critical to the quality of teaching, learning and therefore of standards achieved in religious education (RE), as in all subjects. The Agreed Syllabus Conference recommends that schools appoint a subject leader in RE who is a subject specialist. If that is not possible, for example in some primary schools, then someone with knowledge of and an interest in the subject should be encouraged to lead.

It is good practice for schools to appoint a link governor for RE. The publication and implementation of this agreed syllabus provides a good opportunity for the subject leader and link governor to lead a subject policy review. An exemplar policy is included with this guidance, which gives schools the opportunity and flexibility to articulate clearly how they intend to interpret and implement the RE curriculum in their own particular context.

Subject leaders should be aware of two important documents on this issue:

  • ‘National Standards for Subject Leaders’ (TTA – 1998) which sets out generic standards for subject leaders under key headings based on how experienced co-ordinators/heads of departments provide effective leadership in their subject(s)
  • ‘Standards for Subject Leaders in Religious Education’ (TTA/AREIAC 1998) which customises the TTA generic standards and requirements to aspects which are specific to subject leaders in RE. (Note – this document is available from AREIAC Publications, Resource House, Kay Street, BuryBL9 6BU – Price £10 including p&p)

The rise in the importance and acknowledgement of school and thus departmental self-evaluation has led to a commensurate rise in expectations of those with subjects leadership and management responsibility. There is an expectation that subject leaders will have an informed overview of their subject(s) founded on a sound evidence base, eg. examination/assessment data, monitoring of teachers’ planning, analysis/scrutiny of pupils’ work, lesson observation, discussions with pupils and colleagues and so on.

The monitoring role within the overall subject leadership one is critical and there are tools to support subject leaders in fulfilling this responsibility effectively. Use of the subject or department self evaluation toolkit ( See Aoppendix (i)) provides a good guide to the areas about which subject leaders should know and be able to discuss or write. Rigorous use of such a self-evaluative tool, for example annually, should result in a clear overview of the current situation in the subject and the production of an action plan for progress and improvement.

The monitoring role of the subject leader includes:

  • monitoring subject planning
  • monitoring subject delivery
  • monitoring assessment of the subject
  • monitoring record keeping and reporting of the subject

The purposes of monitoring include:

  • providing information about, and raising, standards of achievement
  • improving the quality of teaching and learning
  • supporting teachers in becoming more effective
  • ensuring that teacher expectations are sufficiently high
  • providing information about gaps in subject coverage
  • ensuring that each child receives their full entitlement
  • identifying and sharing good practice
  • identifying professional development needs
  • identifying future development needs
  • generating an evaluative report which can be shared with all staff

Below are some key questions which might be asked, some particularly in primary schools to give an overview, followed by some specific guidance on particular aspects of monitoring such as analysis of pupils work and lesson observation.

In terms of general/overview monitoring, it is appropriate for subject leaders to ask:

  • is there a planned programme of RE across the school in accordance with the syllabus?
  • is the curriculum time for RE at or above the minimum time required by the syllabus eg. over a term, year and key stage?
  • are resources for RE adequate and used appropriately? Are resources varied, accurate and authentic?
  • does the taught programme of RE address the key questions from the syllabus appropriately?
  • is there a suitable balance between the twin aims of the syllabus? (Aim 1: learning about religion and religions; Aim 2: learning from religion and religions)
  • do teachers have clear objectives and set high expectations in RE? (These will be informed by the eight level scale of attainment in the agreed syllabus)
  • are achievement and standards of attainment in RE promoted through high expectations of pupil progress and a challenging RE curriculum for all pupils?
  • are RE lessons well structured, organised and managed?
  • are teaching and learning focused on appropriate objectives and suitably paced?
  • is there a suitable proportion of direct teaching in RE and is there a balanced variety of opportunities for pupils to respond eg. through paired, group and individual work
  • does whole class work, discussion and questioning enable all pupils to participate and make progress?
  • in what ways does the teaching provide opportunities for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils and are these identified eg. in planning?
  • is RE teaching providing varied opportunities for pupils to develop ideas, arguments, thoughtful reflections and questions of their own?
  • are support staff deployed effectively to support learning in RE?
  • do pupils with a variety of special needs, including the more able pupils, make appropriate progress in RE?

To support subject leaders in fulfilling their monitoring role effectively, checklists for each of the areas identified below are included with this guidance.

Lesson observation

Teachers find lesson observation both challenging and reassuring. RE subject leaders may wish to take a lead in being observed: this is good practice and sets an appropriate example and tone within which the exercise can be consulted. A programme of observation is often most effective if it runs alongside opportunities for continuing professional development, and if the focus is clear, for example on a particular religion, or ‘learning from religion’ through developing skills of reflection.

Analysis / scrutiny of pupils’ work
  • judgements about pupils’ attainment and achievements are crucial to self-evaluation and therefore must be as accurate as possible
  • measuring achievement ie. progress made against prior attainment involves evaluating the changes in pupils’ levels of attainment over time
  • work scrutiny should evaluate both provision and outcomes and can occur in a number of contexts, eg. sitting alongside pupils as they work; looking at the books of a whole set or class; observation of displays; systematically sampling work eg. groups of books or examples of above below and average pupils’ work on a regular basis should evaluate provision and outcomes

Provision includes:

  • the quality of marking
  • the range of opportunities provided for pupils to develop skills and competencies across a broad curriculum
  • whether the work is matched to the pupils’ levels of attainment
  • the effective use of assessment to inform teaching
  • the relative demands made of pupils by different subjects

Outcomes include:

  • pupils’ attainment by attainment target
  • the progress made by individual pupils and by different groups of pupils (higher attainers, ethnic minorities)
  • the progress made by different year groups and by sets or parallel groups where relevant

Monitoring short-term planning

Monitoring planning secures subject coverage and provision by checking that programmes of study are translating accurately and appropriately into schemes of work and thus to classroom practice through individual lesson plans.

The criteria on which to base judgements when evaluating planning and/or assessment, recording and reporting set out below can be easily turned into questions.

These questions should be asked of any planning scrutinised and answers will determine the judgement of the quality of lesson planning seen.

Talking with pupils or students

Pupils themselves are a vital source of information about their work, learning, standards and attitudes and behaviour. Some questions you might ask pupils when talking about their work with them are included below.

Giving accurate feedback effectively

Communicating feedback effectively is imperative for ongoing improvement and progress.

Creating a positive, non-threatening climate is essential; guidance is set out below.

Finally, also included is a checklist of some ‘Possible areas for discussion with curriculum co-ordinators’, which subject leaders may find useful as they cover, for example, the areas about which Ofsted inspectors expect subject leaders to have knowledge.

Keeping a subject / departmental file is good practice and suggestions for content and format are also included at the end of this article of guidance.

RE CPD E-Handbook

Follow this link to the online Religious Education CPD E-Handbook commissioned by the DCSF and the Religious Education Council of England and Wales. The handbook aims to develop the subject and professional knowledge of teachers of religious education.

In addition to guidance on teaching, learning and assessment in religious education, the Handbook provides up-to-date information on important initiatives such as community cohesion.

Monitoring short term planning

Effective lesson plans include:

  • clear learning objectives
  • approximate timings for each part of the lesson
  • activities which relate to the learning objective
  • variety of teaching strategies and learning experiences
  • the subject-specific language to be used
  • the deployment of, and tasks for, additional adults
  • briefing notes for support staff and others
  • special resources that are needed for the lesson
  • indication of where work is differentiated
  • assessment details for individuals, groups or the whole class
  • evaluation notes
  • assessments and evaluations inform to future planning
  • information for use in the next lesson

Questions/criteria on which to base judgements from scrutiny and evaluation of pupils’ work

Teaching

  • does the work provide evidence of a broad and balanced curriculum?
  • does the work match national curriculum requirements?

Range of tasks

  • do you see evidence of pupils using higher order thinking skills eg. did you see any examples of reporting, describing, instructing, explaining, narrating, persuading, arguing?
  • is there too great a reliance on worksheets which do little to extend pupils’ development?
  • do tasks value process as well as product?
  • is there a variety of tasks?
  • are tasks motivating, challenging and matched to pupils’ needs and abilities?
  • are pupils ever asked to write for an audience other than themselves or the teacher?
  • are research skills and note taking taught?

Assessment

  • is marking helpful? Is it about content / organisation or spelling / punctuation? Is it sparse and fragmentary; uneven but good in some classes or regular and helpful? Is it evaluative or diagnostic? Is it regular, systematic and consistent?
  • how detailed is the marking eg. ticks only, a mark or grade, comments or correction in the margin, a summative comment which is personal to the pupil?
  • is there any evidence that targets are set or action taken as a result of the assessment?
  • is unfinished work monitored?

Planning